Telescopingly coupled syringe and vial

ABSTRACT

An inverted type syringe in which a double-ended needle is molded into a solid post with a socket at its upper end complementary to a stopper piston closing a cylindrical vial. In use, as the stopper is inserted into the socket it is punctured by the needle so that a continued pressure on the vial causes ejection of the contents. In a preferred form, a cylindrical plastic holder telescopically receives the vial and a hub on the holder is cemented or sealed to the post.

[ Oct. 23, 1973 l28/2l8 P 128/220 128/220 FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 2,907,330 1 10/1959 Laub 3,098,482 7/1963 O'Sullivan...3,378,008 4/1968 162,115 3/1955 Australia.............................

Primary Examine rRichard A. Gaudet Assistant Examiner.1. C. McGowanAttorney-Ralph Hammar [57] ABSTRACT An inverted type syringe in which adouble-ended needle is molded into a solid post with a socket at itsupper end complementary to a stopper piston closing a cylindrical vial.in use, as the stopper is inserted into the socket it is punctured bythe needle so that a continued pressure on the vial causes ejection ofthe contents. ln a preferred form, a cylindrical plastic holdertelescopically receives the vial :and a hub on the holder is cemented orsealed to the post.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 128/220, 128/218 D 1nt.A6lm 5/00 128/220,218 P, 218 R,

TELESCOPINGLY COUPLED SYRINGE AND VIAL Inventor: Harold S. Cloyd, Erie,Pa.

Assignee: Noseo Plastics, Incorporated, Erie,

Filed: Dec. 15, 1970 Appl. No.: 98,226

Related U.S. Application Data Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 749,448,Aug. 1968, abandoned.

Field of Search 128/218 N, 215, 221; 206/43 References Cited UNlTEDSTATES PATENTS 4/1964 12/1970 Kessel..........................

United States Patent 1191 Cloyd AAA/f q s msaw Tamer m ATTORNEYTELESCOPINGLY COUPLED SYRINGE AND VIAL This is a continuation-in-part ofApplication Ser. No. 749,448, filed Aug. 1, 1968, and now abandoned.

This invention is intended to simplify the molding of inverted typesyringes so the cost canbe made low enough for one-time use.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the syringe with the parts shown slightlyseparated;

FIG. 2 is a section through the body of the syringe; and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of a'tree of molded plasticsyringe bodies prior to the completion of their manufacture.

The syringe consists generally of a body 1 carrying the needle, a holder2 enclosing the body, a needle protector 3 and a via] 4 filled to thedesired dosage and closed by a stopper or piston 5 slidably received inthe bore of the vial. In use, the vial is telescoped into the holder orover the body of the syringe and the stopper serves as a piston to expelthe contents through the needle. At the completion of the injection, theparts are thrown away so it is desirable that each of the partsbe asinexpensive as possible.

The body of the syringe is moldedof plastic and comprises a solid centerpost or hub6 with a socket 7 at its upper end of larger outside diameterthan the hub. A

double-ended needle 8 is molded into the hub and has its pointed upperend 9 near or above the upper end of the socket 7 and has its pointedlower end 10 projecting out the lower end of the hub so as to beaccessible for injection. The hub 6 has a length substantially equal tothe length of the vial so that at the end of the injection operation thevial can be completely telescoped over the hub.

In order to hold the needle securely in place an intermediate section ofthe needle is provided with a bend 11 which anchors the needle withinthe hub. This is conveniently done by the mold of US. Pat. No. 3,330,004which centralizes the upper and lower ends of the needle while bendingthe intermediate section.

The lower end of the hub or post 6 has a reduced section 12 telescopedwithin a hub l3extending through the bottom wall 14 of the holder 2. Theholder 2 is a separately molded piece which is cemented or otherwisesealed or bonded to the reduced section 12 of the hub 6. The needleprotector 3 is also separately molded and has its upper end 15 infrictional engagement with the projecting lower end 16 of the hub 13. InFIG. 1 the needle protector 3 is shown fully telescoped over the lowerend 16 of the hub 13 but the body 1 is shown slightly elevated so that atapered section 17 on the hub 6 is spaced above a tapered section 18 onthe hub 13. When in the fully assembled position, the body 1 will belowered into the holder 2 and the tapered sections 17 and 18 will be inengagement as shown in FIG. 2.

The socket 7 has internal threads 19 complementary to external threads20 on a reduced projection 21 of the stopper 5. As the lower or open endof the vial 4 is telescoped into the holder 2, the pointed needle end 9enters a longitudinal bore 22 in the plug 5 and the threads 20 .on theplug make initial engagement with the threads 19 in the socket. Rotationof the vial relative to the holder causes complete engagement of thethreads 19 and 20 and forces the pointed end 9 of the needle through aweb 23 separating the bore 22 from a bore 24 leading to the upper end ofthe stopper 5.

This establishes communication between the liquid contents of the vialand the needle. As the vial is pressed downward relative to the holderthe stopper acts as a piston forcing the liquid contents out through thebores 24, 22, and the needle 8.. The stopper has external ribs 25 whichmaintain a seal between the stopper and the inner side walls of the vialwhile permitting the necessary sliding movement. The holder 2 has aprojecting flange 26 by which the holder may be gripped duringinjection.

The bodyl of the syringe is molded in a multi-cavity mold in whichplastic is injected through a plurality of interconnected runners 27which feed the plastic into a plurality of locations around the: upperedge of each of the sockets 7. At the end of the molding cycle there isejected from the mold a tree consisting of a plurality of bodies 1connected to each other through a tree of runners 27. The tree of moldedparts can easily be handled as a unit. All of the molded parts willdepend from the tree and will be in accurate relation to each other. Inorder to completethe assembly of syringes, a plurality of needleprotectors 3 and holders 2 are assembled into a fixture in which theholders and needle protectors are held on the same spacing as the bodies1 in the tree 27. The reduced sections 12 at the lower ends of theneedle hubs 6 are coated with a suitable adhesive or solvent and thetree is then lowered so that each of the bodies 1 enters its holder. Thesolvent provides an adhesive coating. As the reduced :sections 12 aretelescoped within the hubs 13 of the holders, the parts are adhesivelyjoined in assembled relation. At the end of the assembly each body isjoined or bonded to its holder and each needle is protected by itsneedle protector. In lieu of the adhesive or solvent, ultrasonic sealingmay be used to bond the parts. In this process, ultrasonic vibrationscause local fusion of the plastic surfaces in contact with each other.After the joint has set up, the tree is broken to separate theindividual syringes. After appropriate sterilization, each individualsyringe is ready for use in conjunction with an appropriate vial asdescribed above. i

The body, holder and needle protector are made in simple molds. The tree27 holds the molded bodies 1 in positive spacing or alignment so as topermit easy as sembly. The plastic to plastic joint between the hubs 12,13 does not require epoxy cements necessary for bonding metal toplastic. The solvent or cement for the joint is kept away from theneedle. Supersonic sealing fuses the contacting surfaces withoutrequiring solvent or adhesive. A major portion of the length of theneedle is molded into the plastic providing an extended gripping surfacewhich prevents dislodging of the needle. When the projection 21 isscrewed into the socket7, the plunger may be pulled outward to aspirateblood from a vein into theneedle to determine that a vein has beenpunctured.

What is claimed as new is: l. A syringe comprising a cylindrical vialhaving closed end and an open end sealed by a resilient stopper inslidable sealing engagement with the bore of the vial, a needle havingboth ends pointed, a plastic body having a solid. needle hub moldedaround and in gripping contact with a major portion of the length of theneedle, said needle hub having an integral socket at its upper end, theopen end of the socket facing the open end of the vial, the socketbeingof' larger outside diameter than the hub and of smaller outsidediameter than the bore of the vial and the combined length of the needlehub and socket being greater than the length of the via] to permittelescoping of substantially the full length of the vial over the socketand the upper portion of the needle hub, the lower pointed end of theneedle projecting from the lower end of said needle hub so as to beaccessible to an injection site and the upper pointed end of the needleprojecting into said socket so as to be presented to the stopper, aprojection on the stopper fitting into the socket, interengaging meanson the projection and socket as the projection is inserted into thesocket for establishing a push or pull thrust transmitting connectionbetween the stopper and the needle hub and for causing the upper end ofthe needle to penetrate the stopper and communicate with the interior ofthe vial as the vial is moved axially relative to the hub so thecontents of the vial may be injected by pressure on the closed end ofthe vial, and'holding means connected to the lower end of the needle hubfor holding the syringe while exerting pressure on the closed end of thevia].

2. The syringe of claim 1 in which the molding means is a separatecylindrical plastic holder with a bore receiving the vial and comprisesa hub in telescoping relation with and being united to the lower end ofthe needle hub.

3. The syringe of claim 2 in which the bore in the cylindrical holder isclosed around its hub.

4. The syringe of claim 2 in which the needle hub has a reduced sectionat its lower end telescoping into and bonded to the hub of the holder.

5. The syringe of claim 4 in which the plastic body as molded is unitedwith and depends from a tree of runners leading to the socket, said treeserving as a support by which the plastic body may be positioned formovement into telescoping relation with the holder.

6. The syringe of claim 4 having a needle protector telescoped over theneedle onto the hub of the holder. I l I i

1. A syringe comprising a cylindrical vial having a closed end and anopen end sealed by a resilient stopper in slidable sealing engagementwith the bore of the vial, a needle having both ends pointed, a plasticbody having a solid needle hub molded around and in gripping contactwith a major portion of the length of the needle, said needle hub havingan integral socket at its upper end, the open end of the socket facingthe open end of the vial, the socket being of larger outside diameterthan the hub and of smalleR outside diameter than the bore of the vialand the combined length of the needle hub and socket being greater thanthe length of the vial to permit telescoping of substantially the fulllength of the vial over the socket and the upper portion of the needlehub, the lower pointed end of the needle projecting from the lower endof said needle hub so as to be accessible to an injection site and theupper pointed end of the needle projecting into said socket so as to bepresented to the stopper, a projection on the stopper fitting into thesocket, interengaging means on the projection and socket as theprojection is inserted into the socket for establishing a push or pullthrust transmitting connection between the stopper and the needle huband for causing the upper end of the needle to penetrate the stopper andcommunicate with the interior of the vial as the vial is moved axiallyrelative to the hub so the contents of the vial may be injected bypressure on the closed end of the vial, and holding means connected tothe lower end of the needle hub for holding the syringe while exertingpressure on the closed end of the vial.
 2. The syringe of claim 1 inwhich the molding means is a separate cylindrical plastic holder with abore receiving the vial and comprises a hub in telescoping relation withand being united to the lower end of the needle hub.
 3. The syringe ofclaim 2 in which the bore in the cylindrical holder is closed around itshub.
 4. The syringe of claim 2 in which the needle hub has a reducedsection at its lower end telescoping into and bonded to the hub of theholder.
 5. The syringe of claim 4 in which the plastic body as molded isunited with and depends from a tree of runners leading to the socket,said tree serving as a support by which the plastic body may bepositioned for movement into telescoping relation with the holder. 6.The syringe of claim 4 having a needle protector telescoped over theneedle onto the hub of the holder.